SCENE III.
Enter a Porter.
[Knocking within.]
Port.
Here's a knocking, indeed!
If a man were porter of hell-gate, he should
have old turning the key. [Knock.] Knock, knock,
knock: Who's there, i'the name of Belzebub? Here's
a farmer, that hang'd himself on the expectation of
plenty: come in time; have napkins 5 note
enough about
you; here you'll sweat for't. [Knock.] Knock, knock:
Who's there, i'the other devil's name? 'Faith, 6 notehere's
an equivocator, that could swear in both the scales
against either scale; who committed treason enough
for God's sake, yet could not equivocate to heaven:
oh, come in, equivocator. [Knock.] Knock, knock,
knock: Who's there? 'Faith, 7 note
here's an English taylor
-- 508 --
come hither, for stealing out of a French hose:
come in, taylor; here you may roast your goose.
[Knock] Knock, knock: Never at quiet! What are
you? But this place is too cold for hell. I'll devil-porter
it no further: I had thought to have let in some
of all professions, that go the primrose way to the
everlasting bonfire. [Knock] Anon, anon; I pray you,
remember the porter.
Enter Macduff, and Lenox.
Mac.
Was it so late, friend, ere you went to bed,
That you do lie so late?
Port.
'Faith, sir, we were carousing 'till the second
cock: and drink, sir, is a great provoker of three
things.
Macd.
What three things doth drink especially
provoke?
Port.
Marry, sir, nose-painting, sleep, and urine.
Lechery, sir, it provokes, and unprovokes; it provokes
the desire, but it takes away the performance:
Therefore, much drink may be said to be an equivocator
with lechery: it makes him, and it mars him;
it sets him on, and it takes him off; it persuades him,
and disheartens him; makes him stand to, and not
stand to: in conclusion, equivocates him in a sleep,
and, giving him the lie, leaves him.
-- 509 --
Macd.
I believe, drink gave thee the lie last night.
Port.
That it did, sir, i'the very throat o'me: But
I requited him for his lie; and, I think, being too
strong for him, though he took up my legs sometime,
yet 8 note
I made a shift to cast him.
Macd.
Is thy master stirring?—
Our knocking has awak'd him; here he comes.
Len.
Good-morrow, noble sir!
Enter Macbeth.
Macb.
Good-morrow, both!
Macd.
Is the king stirring, worthy thane?
Macb.
Not yet.
Macd.
He did command me to call timely on him;
I have almost slipt the hour.
Macb.
I'll bring you to him.
Macd.
I know, this is a joyful trouble to you;
But yet, 'tis one.
Macb.
The labour we delight in, physicks pain.
This is the door.
Macd.
I'll make so bold to call,
For 'tis my limited service9 note.
[Exit Macduff.
Len.
Goes the king hence to-day?
Macb.
He does: he did appoint so.
Len.
The night has been unruly: Where we lay,
Our chimneys were blown down: and, as they say,
-- 510 --
Lamentings heard i'the air; 1 note
strange screams of death;
And prophesying, with accents terrible,9Q0530
Of dire combustion, and confus'd events,
New hatch'd to the woeful time: The obscure bird
Clamour'd the live-long night: some say, the earth
Was feverous, and did shake.
Macb.
'Twas a rough night.
Len.
My young remembrance cannot parallel
A fellow to it.
Re-enter Macduff.
Macd.
O horror! horror! horror! 2 note
Tongue, nor heart,
-- 511 --
Cannot conceive, nor name thee!
Macb. and Len.
What's the matter?
Macd.
Confusion now hath made his master-piece!
Most sacrilegious murder hath broke ope
The Lord's anointed temple, and stole thence
The life o'the building.
Macb.
What is't you say? the life?
Len.
Mean you his majesty?
Macd.
Approach the chamber, and destroy your sight
With a new Gorgon:—Do not bid me speak;
See, and then speak yourselves.—Awake! awake!—
[Exeunt Macbeth and Lenox.
Ring the alarum-bell:—Murder! and treason!
Banquo, and Donalbain! Malcolm! awake!
Shake off this downy sleep, death's counterfeit,
And look on death itself!—up, up, and see
The great doom's image!—Malcolm! Banquo!
As from your graves rise up, and walk like sprights,
To countenance 3 notethis horror!9Q0531—Ring the bell.
Bell rings. Enter Lady Macbeth.
Lady.
What's the business,
That such a hideous trumpet calls to parley
The sleepers of the house? speak, speak,—
Macd.
O, gentle lady,
'Tis not for you to hear what I can speak:
The repetition in a woman's ear,
Would murder as it fell.—O Banquo! Banquo!
-- 521 --
Enter Banquo.
Our royal master's murder'd!
Lady.
Woe, alas!
4 noteWhat, in our house?
Ban.
Too cruel, any where.—
5 note
Dear Duff, I pr'ythee, contradict thyself,
And say, it is not so.
Re-enter Macbeth, and Lenox.
Macb.
Had I but dy'd an hour before this chance,
I had liv'd a blessed time; for, from this instant,
There's nothing serious in mortality:
All is but toys: renown, and grace, is dead;
The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees
Is left this vault to brag of.
Enter Malcolm, and Donalbain.
Don.
What is amiss?
Macb.
You are, and do not know it:
The spring, the head, the fountain of your blood
Is stopt; the very source of it is stopt.
Macd.
Your royal father's murder'd.
-- 513 --
Mal.
Oh, by whom?
Len.
Those of his chamber, as it seem'd, had don't:
Their hands and faces were all badg'd with blood6 note
,
So were their daggers, which, unwip'd, we found
Upon their pillows; they star'd, and were distracted;
No man's life was to be trusted with them.
Macb.
O, yet I do repent me of my fury,
That I did kill them.
Macd.
Wherefore did you so?
Macb.
Who can be wise, amaz'd, temperate, and furious,
Loyal and neutral in a moment? No man:
The expedition of my violent love
Out-ran the pauser reason.—7 note
Here lay Duncan,
-- 514 --
8 noteHis silver skin lac'd with his golden blood 9Q0533;
And his gash'd stabs look'd like a breach in nature,
For ruin's wasteful entrance: there, the murderers,
Steep'd in the colours of their trade, their daggers
9 note
Unmannerly breech'd with gore: Who could refrain,
-- 515 --
That had a heart to love, and in that heart
Courage, to make his love known?
-- 516 --
Lady.
Help me hence, ho!
Macd.
Look to the lady 9Q0534.
Mal.
Why do we hold our tongues,
That most may claim this argument for ours?
Don.
What should be spoken here,
Where our fate, hid within an augre-hole,
May rush, and seize us? Let's away, our tears
Are not yet brew'd.
Mal.
Nor our strong sorrow
Upon the foot of motion.
Ban.
Look to the lady:—
And when we have our naked frailties hid,
That suffer in exposure1 note
, let us meet,
And question this most bloody piece of work,
To know it further. Fears and scruples shake us:
2 note
In the great hand of God I stand; and, thence,
-- 517 --
Against the undivulg'd pretence 9Q0535 I fight
Of treasonous malice.
Macb.
And so do I.
All.
So all.
Macb.
Let's briefly put on manly readiness,
And meet i'the hall together.
All.
Well contented.
[Exeunt.
Mal.
What will you do? Let's not consort with them:
To shew an unfelt sorrow, is an office
Which the false man does easy: I'll to England.
Don.
To Ireland, I; our separated fortune
Shall keep us both the safer: where we are,
There's daggers in men's smiles: the near in blood,
The nearer bloody3 note
.
Mal.
4 note
This murderous shaft that's shot,
-- 518 --
Hath not yet lighted; and our safest way
Is, to avoid the aim. Therefore, to horse;
And let us not be dainty of leave-taking,
But shift away: There's warrant in that theft
Which steals itself, when there's no mercy left.
[Exeunt.
Samuel Johnson [1778], The plays of William Shakspeare. In ten volumes. With the corrections and illustrations of various commentators; to which are added notes by Samuel Johnson and George Steevens. The second edition, Revised and Augmented (Printed for C. Bathurst [and] W. Strahan [etc.], London) [word count] [S10901].
